Austria: Conchita Wurst is Unstoppable!

Conchita Wurst made history when she lifted the Grand Prix in Copenhagen in 2014 with her entry Rise like a phoenix. The past few weeks have seen her on a whistle-stop tour of Europe promoting her album and autobiography Being Conchita.

Conchita has captured the public imagination like no other Eurovision winner in recent memory. Her success echoes the likes enjoyed by ABBA after their 1974 victory with Waterloo. She gave Austria their second victory in 2014. Their first since Udo Jurgens won in 1966. Recently she has been on a busy promotional trip through Europe promoting her biography and the album Conchita.

Wurst has made several appearances in the UK recently. She was interviewed by Lorraine Kelly for breakfast TV and performed a track from her album Conchita. Here Wurst was famously quoted as saying that she was too selfish to be a role model. Nevertheless her appearance at the Icon Awards in Glasgow only went further to cement her status as an LGBT role model and icon where she again performed for the audience.

More recently, an article in the DN.SE interviews Conchita and talks about her transition into global recognition and stardom. The Swedish article also tackles Conchita’s view of herself as an ambassador for the LGBT community since her historic Eurovision win in Copenhagen. She is quoted as saying;

Do not misunderstand me, for me it was a statement, but for a specific group of people. Eurovision fans are a huge part of the LGBT community.

Conchita also goes on to discuss the political impact upon her victory.

In a very impolite way, because I could not care less. I almost wanted to thank them. There were so many influential politicians who were talking about me, called me ‘the end of the European Society’ ‘. They saw me as someone who could change things. They were afraid.

Whatever transpires, Conchita Wurst who identifies as a gay man and a performance drag artist has certainly challenged conservative values and shaken traditional fractions across Europe who draw a harder line on LGBT rights. She has the voice, the stage and the world’s attention. Her millions of fans across the globe salute Conchita as we watch with pride and interest as she navigates her way through the post Eurovision victory landscape.

Stay tuned to esctoday.com for more news on Conchita Wurst, Austria and The Eurovision Song Contest.

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Alex lives and works in the United Kingdom and has been an avid fan of the Eurovision Song Contest since Carola's victory in 1991 for Sweden. He is studying English Literature and wants to focus on becoming an established writer. He joins the esctoday.com team as an Editor.